Loyalty Scheme:

Bordeaux: An introduction to the wine region

Lying on the Atlantic coast in the southern part of western France, and divided by the Gironde Estuary and its two major rivers, the Dordogne and the Garonne, Bordeaux remains one of the finest wine producing regions in the world.

France’s fourth largest city, Bordeaux, lies in the centre of the region which is divided into key areas with the Médoc and the sub-regions of St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien, and Margaux on the left bank and Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Bourg and Blaye on the right bank of the Gironde River. Additional wine regions include Graves which is south east of the Médoc and includes the sub-regions of Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes and Barsac. Across from Graves on the right bank is the Entre-Deux-Mers (literally ‘between two seas’) area between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.

The Appellation d'origine controlee hierarchy in the region is split into three levels; generic, district and commune. Generic applies to AC wines produced in the Gironde, while District refers to the highest attainable appellation in a particular locality such as the aforementioned Entre-Deux-Mers. Commune Appellations are the highest appellations in Bordeaux, excluding the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AC.

Northerly in the winemaking context and residing in a temperate environment, the vintages of Bordeaux wines vary each year. Reds and whites produced in the region are almost always a blend of grape varieties (Sauvignon Blanc being the exception to the rule) so to contend with the varied weather patterns and subsequently unpredictable vine growing conditions.

The region boasts as many as fourteen grape varieties under Appellation d'origine controlee regulations, but five black grapes and three whites are principally used more than the others.

Cabernet Sauvignon is Bordeaux’s classic and archetypal black grape and accounts for three-quarters of the blend in Medoc’s finest wines, although this figure significantly decreases across the rest of the region’s plantings of black grapes. At its best it produces tannic wines with strong blackcurrant tones.

Cabernet Franc is predominantly grown in Saint-Émilion but also in the Medoc and Graves and produces a far greater yield than Cabernet Sauvignon but with a less significant body and finesse.

Merlot produces a medium yield of full-bodied wine which, like Cabernet Franc, matures quicker than Cabernet Sauvignon and when added to the latter it adds richness and a fuller body. An important grape in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon because on its own it can lack character, fruit, colour and tannin.

Malbec’s importance is declining due to its susceptibility to coulure (a viticultural hazard that prevents the grape from developing after flowering) but is used in wines from Bourg and Blaye, while Petit Verdot is used in blends but not significantly so. When added to other varietals it can produce exotic spicy notes.

In Bordeaux, the white grape Sauvignon Blanc is increasingly used for single varietal, dry white wines that produce distinctly vegetal and elderflower aromas. Its high acidity balances out the heaviness of Semillon, which is the most widely planted white grape in Bordeaux and used frequently with sweet wines. Muscadelle is blended in sweet wines due to its Muscat flavour.

BBQ Spatchcock Piri-Piri Chicken

Summer has come to a close and autumn is well and truly on its way. Blustering winds, cooler temperatures and swiftly shortening days mean it will soon be time to wrap up warm and to make the most of the wonderful autumn produce on offer. Time to say goodbye to those fresh, summer whites and replace them with the warmer, more robust reds frequently associated with colder temperatures.

26.08.15

What to drink with Fish Pie?

Fish Pie is a quintessentially British recipe. Easy to make and absolutely delicious, it is also a great dinner party dish - with a limited amount of last minute preparations needed it’s a winner in my book! However, where do you start when matching a fish pie with wine?

24.07.15

Five Ways to Open a Bottle of Wine Without a Corkscrew

For that moment when you find yourself without a corkscrew and unable to open that bottle of wine; here are five ways to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Obviously, if you do have a corkscrew to hand, it is a lot easier to go down the more traditional route…

16.10.14

Nine Ways to Reuse Your Wine Corks

Unless you live in California, where there is an official wine cork recycling program, take inspiration from these ideas and drink your wine guilt-free, knowing you can now recycle both bottle and cork. Alternatively, for those of us who are less environmentally inclined, some of these aesthetically pleasing creations make for great centre pieces…how about that for an alternative motive?

07.09.12

Seven Deadly Glasses by Kacper Hamilton

While by no means new, CellarVie Wines could only marvel at the creative brilliance of London-based designer Kacper Hamilton and his marvellous ‘Seven Deadly Glasses’. Whilst floating aimlessly on the worldwide web during our lunch hour we stumbled upon these beautiful wine glasses, inspired of course by the seven deadly sins; lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride.

25.09.14

Luke Donald: Renaissance Man

Some of the world’s finest golfers have long augmented their iron work with the wine business but few have done so with as much vigour and success as Luke Donald. Joining an impressive number of golf-and-grape connoisseurs – most notably Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus - the supremely elegant Luke Donald Collection, which includes a beautifully handcrafted Bordeaux blend made in Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards, has its origins in a longstanding friendship between the former world number one and Bill Terlato, President and CEO of Terlato Wines International.

This great beef fillet steak recipe serves four people and goes really well with all sorts of Bordeaux reds. We particularly like it with those Clarets that have a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than the more Merlot based ...read more

A winemaking legacy to rival any region in the world, Bordeaux, lying near the Atlantic coast in the Gironde department of Aquitaine, is a beautifully picturesque city steeped in history and boasting a plethora of interesting places of ...read more